Electrical outlets are commonly installed on the exteriors of buildings to provide electrical service for powering outdoor equipment, lights, and similar devices. For those electrical outlets installed on the exterior of a building, the National Electrical Code now requires that each outlet be weatherproof.
The “bubble” outlet covers now in use are of a fixed size and large enough to accommodate electrical cords that are plugged into the outlet. These are commonly called while-in-use covers as the cover protects the outlet and plugs while the outlet is used for providing electrical service to a location remote from the outlet.
Although the current while-in-use electrical box covers adequately cover the electrical outlet, they suffer from several disadvantages. For those situations in which there are no electrical cords plugged into the outlet, the openings for the electrical cords, which are open at all times, provide open passageways for allowing weather to enter the openings and thereby defeat the purpose of the weatherproof cover. Since the cover must be large enough to extend beyond the electrical plugs and the arc of the cords, the typical bubble cover protrudes 3 inches or more from the electrical box and the building's exterior wall. This protrusion from the wall places the cover in a position where it can be easily impacted by outdoor power equipment, vehicles and the like and also creates an unsightly electrical outlet that detracts from the building's attractiveness. Additionally, the bubble cover extends this unsightly distance from the wall regardless of whether or not an electrical cord is plugged into the outlet.
Accordingly, what is needed is an electrical box cover that is weatherproof when electrical cords are plugged into the outlet and also weatherproof when the outlet is free of plugs. Additionally, the extension of the cover from the wall must be kept to a minimum, for protection of the cover and outlet and also to enhance the attractiveness of the electrical box and cover.